Nick Hut

About the Author

Nick Hut

Latest Work

Rural healthcare providers get almost $1 billion in federal funding to help with COVID-19 response

HRSA has announced the upcoming distribution of nearly $1 billion in federal funding for rural healthcare providers to use in COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccination efforts.

Nick Hut May 11, 2021

New HRSA funding is available to providers that administer the COVID-19 vaccine and don’t receive full payment from a health plan

The Health Resources and Services Administration announced a new program to reimburse healthcare providers for administering COVID-19 vaccines to patients whose health plans either do not cover vaccination fees or require cost-sharing.

Nick Hut May 4, 2021

CMS is curtailing voluntary participation in the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement bundled payment model

Hospitals that participated in the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model on a voluntary basis over the last three years will be excluded after Sept. 30.

Nick Hut May 3, 2021

CMS releases the 2021 hospital star ratings

CMS released its 2021 list of hospital star ratings on the Care Compare website, providing consumers with indications of a hospital’s quality based on a five-star scale.

Nick Hut April 30, 2021

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, research finds hospital organizations looking to capitalize on the benefits of ‘systemness’

In a survey of hospital strategic planners, larger health systems were substantially more likely to report that their volumes had reached or exceeded pre-COVID-19 levels.

Nick Hut April 30, 2021

In a win for hospitals, CMS removes a rate-reporting requirement from the Medicare FY22 Inpatient Prospective Payment System

An FY22 requirement for hospitals to disclose privately negotiated MA rates on their Medicare cost reports has been rescinded in the proposed rule for the Inpatient Prospective Payment System.

Nick Hut April 29, 2021

Key payment details in the Medicare FY22 Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule

CMS’s FY22 proposed rule for the Inpatient Prospective Payment System includes a 2.8% payment increase for general acute care hospitals.

Nick Hut April 28, 2021

News briefs: CMS reduces Medicare payments by 25% for many providers as part of loan recoupment

News briefs for May include recoupment of Medicare advance payments, a potential issue with hospitals' 340B eligibility, and more.

Nick Hut April 26, 2021

Why the federal agency that oversees healthcare payment innovation is rethinking its approach

The director of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation is conducting a “strategic refresh” of the agency to consider how the healthcare industry’s transition to value can be improved.

Nick Hut April 25, 2021

Prospective CMS administrator’s confirmation hearing highlights Congress’s desire to expand telehealth coverage

In a confirmation hearing for prospective CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, various members of the Senate Finance Committee expressed their hope to implement a permanent expansion of Medicare telehealth coverage.

Nick Hut April 21, 2021